Marine and Polar

IPBES has issued a call for nominations for the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) for the three-year term 2015–2017, replacing the current interim MEP. The MEP is an important body as it is responsible for overseeing the scientific and technical development and implementation of the IPBES work programme. … | French | Spanish

The lives of Bangladesh's fishermen and its coastal cetaceans are intertwined. Regarded as their brethren at sea, fishermen often lament the death of these top predators through entanglement in gillnets. Finding mutually beneficial solutions, Brian Smith and colleague Rubaiyat Mowgli Mansur, working for SOS grantee and IUCN Member, the Wildlife Conservation Society, report on the promising start to an initiative to align priorities for both fishermen and cetaceans using new processes and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies. With such an innovative project, there has been some learning on the job generating new insights and practices according to Brian.
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The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, is a large and extremely rich body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. Spreading over more than 1,130km of coast and reaching a surface area of 160,000km2, the Gulf of California is listed as one of the 66 Large Marine Ecosystems of the world. Its unique location accounts for some of the most astonishing landscapes on Earth, where blue lagoons meet the desert sand. …

Influencing consumer behaviour toward protecting a species such as the iconic Manta Ray is a nuanced and lengthy process gaining awareness, changing attitudes and finally changing actions. It is work that SOS Grantee WildAid, has been doing for some time using a toolkit including celebrity ambassadors, social media, television and billboard advertising to win hearts and minds. First and key, however, is up to date market information: in this case the manta gill plate consumer market of Guangzhou, China – where 99% of the world’s consumption occurs.
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A memorandum of understanding signed between IUCN Oceania and the Uto Ni Yalo Trust sets the course for the Uto Ni Yalo to sail to Sydney for the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014. This significant voyage will convey regional messages about the critical need to respect and protect important natural places. It continues the Pacific Voyage: ‘one Pacific voice’ campaign, originally initiated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. … | French

With only about one-sixth of the original coral cover left, most Caribbean coral reefs may disappear in the next 20 years, primarily due to the loss of grazers in the region, according to the latest report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). …

Like many threatened species, the Vulnerable Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) is under pressure from anthropogenic activities. Industrial and commercial scale fishing forces locally-based artisanal fishers to within 200 metres of the beach – using their nets in critical habitat for this poorly understood marine mammal. In a recent field report SOS Grantee and IUCN Member, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reports on the impact of routine and frequent surveillance patrols in the waters of Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP), in the Republic of Congo – one of two project sites- to deter and intercept the trawlers that are deemed the root cause of the problem.
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Following IUCN’s advice, the World Heritage Committee has sent a strong message to oil and gas and other extractive industries not to operate in World Heritage sites. The message came during discussions about World Heritage sites in Danger, including Africa’s iconic Virunga National Park, at the annual World Heritage Committee meeting taking place in Doha, Qatar. … | French | Dutch

Internationally recognized experts, politicians, CEOs, activists and indigenous leaders will be at the forefront of a series of public debates during the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 taking place this November in Sydney, Australia. … | French

IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations are now more accessible and easier to search than ever with the new IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations Platform. The Platform, available online in English, French and Spanish, gives an opportunity to explore IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations that have shaped the global conservation agenda and the Union’s policy on important issues over the past 65 years.